American Morning
Swim club penalized over racism complaint
(CNN) - The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission issued a finding of probable cause Tuesday that racism was involved in the decision last June by a suburban Philadelphia swim club to revoke privileges of a largely minority day care center.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/US/09/23/pennsylvania.swim.racism/art.pool.campers.pdn.jpg caption="Some kids from the Creative Steps Day Care center say club members made racist remarks."]
The commission ordered monetary damages for humiliation and embarrassment and a civil penalty of not more than $50,000.
The decision noted that none of the club's 155 paid members this year was African-American.
Last year, according to the decision, there were "179 paid memberships, none of whom were African American."
In addition, the decision noted that in 2009, the Valley Club "made a concerted effort to expand the geographic range of its membership by engaging in a marketing campaign.... The Respondent efforts were mainly directed at areas with overwhelmingly Caucasian populations.... The Respondent made no effort to direct such marketing efforts at areas with significant African American populations...."
Bill Clinton sounds off on Obama racism charge
(CNN) - While some criticism targeting President Obama is racially motivated, the fight over health care isn't, former President Bill Clinton told CNN Monday.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/21/bill.clinton.larry.king/art.clinton.lkl.cnn.jpg caption="Former President Bill Clinton says Democrats need to win the health care debate "on the merits.""]
"I believe that some of the right-wing extremists which oppose President Obama are also racially prejudiced and would prefer not to have an African-American president," Clinton told CNN's Larry King in a wide-ranging interview aired Monday evening. "But I don't believe that all the people who oppose him on health care - and all the conservatives - are racists. And I believe if he were white, every single person who opposes him now, would be opposing him then."
Clinton discussed a variety of issues facing the Obama administration - from health care to the war in Afghanistan - on the eve of the fifth annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative.
Regarding race, the former president was referring to an outburst from Rep. Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, who shouted, "You lie," at Obama during the president's joint address to Congress, and also former President Jimmy Carter's assessment that racism is an obstacle for the current president.
"While I have devoted my life to getting rid of racism, I think this [health care] is a fight that my president and our party - this is one we need to win on the merits," Clinton said.
House votes to cut federal funding for ACORN
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The House of Representatives approved an amendment Thursday that calls for halting government funding to the community organizing group ACORN.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/17/house.acorn/art.acorn.investigation.youtube.jpg caption="The videos have sparked controversy over ACORN, already under fire amid election fraud claims."]
The measure, added to a larger bill on reforming student loans that won House approval, follows a provision passed earlier in the week by the Senate that would halt Housing and Urban Development grants to ACORN.
Both measures would have to have their differences reconciled in Congress to take effect.
ACORN's chief executive officer says that the group gets most of its money from members and other supporters and that its operations would continue even if it is cut off from government grants.
However, approval of the House and Senate measures demonstrated the political fallout against ACORN after the recent release of videos that appeared to show the agency's employees condoning illegal actions.
Carter again links racism to Obama treatment
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) - Former President Jimmy Carter reiterated Wednesday that he believes racism is an issue for President Obama in trying to lead the country.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/15/carter.obama/art.jimmy.carter.emory.cnn.jpg caption="In Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday, Jimmy Carter again linked harsh Obama criticism to racism. "]
"When a radical fringe element of demonstrators and others begin to attack the president of the United States as an animal or as a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler or when they wave signs in the air that said we should have buried Obama with Kennedy, those kinds of things are beyond the bounds," the Democrat who served from 1977-1981 told students at Emory University.
"I think people who are guilty of that kind of personal attack against Obama have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African American.
"It's a racist attitude, and my hope is and my expectation is that in the future both Democratic leaders and Republican leaders will take the initiative in condemning that kind of unprecedented attack on the president of the United States," Carter said. Watch Carter speak at Emory 
ACORN 'deeply disturbed' by videos, CEO says
CNN Justice Produce
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The community organizing group ACORN on Wednesday announced a hiring freeze, new training programs and an independent review of its programs after the recent release of a series of videotapes embarrassing to the agency.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/US/09/16/us.acorn/art.acorn.investigation.youtube.jpg caption="In the videos, the individuals seek advice on setting up a brothel with underage women from El Salvador."]
The videos, secretly taped by two individuals posing as a pimp and a prostitute, showed ACORN employees in four of the agency's offices suggesting or condoning a series of illicit actions as the couple sought advice on setting up a brothel with underage women from El Salvador.
"We have all been deeply disturbed by what we've seen in some of these videos," ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis said. "I must say on behalf of ACORN's board and our Advisory Council that we will go to whatever lengths necessary to re-establish the public trust."
The steps announced include an immediate halt in hiring for all ACORN offices, an immediate training program for all front-line staff and selection of an independent auditor by the end of this week. Watch Lewis address the scandal
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Rollins: Carter is wrong on Obama opposition
CNN Senior Political Contributor
Editor's note: Ed Rollins, a senior political contributor for CNN, is senior presidential fellow at the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency at Hofstra University. He was White House political director for President Reagan and chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/17/rollins.obama.tv.health/art.ed.rollins.courtesy.jpg caption="Ed Rollins says opposition to health care reform is about the substance, not the president's race."]
NEW YORK (CNN) - President Obama is about to undertake a full-scale blitz of all the Sunday talk shows to try to convince the American people one more time of the merits of his health care plan.
This is after he has spoken on the subject publicly more than 100 times and after he just gave a nationwide speech before the Congress and the country.
I know this is his highest priority, but what else can he say to turn around the nearly half the country that doesn't want his health care plan? And if he told us honestly that the plan he and the Democrats are proposing could cost you more and cut services for those on Medicare, even more people would be opposed.
This is now an inside game. There are House versions and a Senate version of the reform bill. It's a question of how do you get them passed and get them to a conference committee to work out the differences.
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